Safety-signal for vehicles.



W. N. BEST.

SAFETY SIGNAL FOR vEHICLfS.

APPLICATION FILED SPT. 9 |915.'

lntentedrJuly 25, 1916.

INVENTOR WILLIAMN. BEST, '0F NEW YORK, y. Y, ASSIGNOR oF ONE-FoURTII To CECILIA.

worres, or BRoonLYN, NEW YORK.

SAFETY-SIGNAL .ron VEHICLES.

Specification of Application mea september To att w/wm it may concern: i

Be it known that I', WILLIAM N. Bns'r, a citizen -of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and use-v ful Improvements in Safety-Signals for Vehicles, 'of which the following is a specification. 4

This invention relates to certain improvements in safety signal devices for automobiles or other vehicles. I

The main object of my invention is to provide durable, inexpensive, and easily and' positively operated means whereby an occupant of the vehicle may warn those'behind, ahead, and atone side, ofhis intention to` turn or stop. v i Y The signaling devices themselves may vary in character but are preferably some form of illuminating `vmeans whereby the signals may be readily seen at night. The

illumination `may be produced by electricity kor by the burning of lliquid orv gaseous fuel,

such as loil or acetylene. The signals may be provided with shields so that kthey are normally invisible and only becomvisible upon the operation of-` the controlling means, or if they are in the form of electric lights such shield or guard may be omitted andthe current turned on or off by the controlling means. v

As `an important feature of my invention, I arrange the slides at the foury corners of thevvehicle and connect those r at diagonally opposite corners for simultaneous operation. Thus, if the driver desires to turn toward the left, he may simultaneously turn onor render visible the light at the front left hand corner and at the 'rear right hand corner.

vThe Llights are so designedfthat they direct their rays both in thedirection of travel of.

the vehicle and laterally Softhat aperson on a'side street, for instance, may see Sthefront, laterally directed light of the vehicle if the 4 driver desires to turn in that direction onto be. ing drawings in which I have illustrated j The lightsmaylbe of the side street. Likewismthose behind the vehicle,cupon seeing the light at the rear ri ght-hand corner, wi ll know that the vehicle is to turn towardthe left. A secrete sig#- naling light maybe employed at tlieflerfi indicating that the car is to go slower ory to stop.`

Reference is to lbe had tothe accompany- BEST AVAILABLE corr.

Letters Patent.

'Patented July 25, 191e.

rather diagrammatically one embodiment of my invention. I wish it specifically understood that I am not limited tosuch details as are shown inasmuch as variou other "forms may be constructed in accorda ce with my invention witho-ut departing from the scope of the appendedclaim. 1 .I .e

Inr these drawings, Figure 1 is ax plan View, of a vehicle showing the arrangement of lights and the wiring diagram, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the controlling switch. i In carrying out my invention, I provide lights 10, 11, 12 and 13r` at the four corners ofthe vehicle, the twolights 10 and 11 being at the front 'corners and arranged yto throw their rays forwardly orlaterally. If desired, they may be so constructed asfto direct their rays onlyrlater'ally audit-not forwardly,`butthe other arrangement is' preferable as it servesto warn-japproachinglvehicles of the intenton'to turn.'A The lights 12l and 13 are *atv 'the rear'cornersfand'fdirect Ltheir rays not onlyrearwardly butzlaterally. The lights 10 and12 which are at diagonally opposite `corners ofthe vehicle, maybe connected in the same circuit' ormayfbe oper-` ated by the 'same controlling member; As; shown, they are arranged inserieswith the battery "14 or other smirce-ofl electrical energy, and a controlling switch 15. The

. anotherl light `17 which is f mounted-in" the center of thev rear of 4the vehicle and connected to the battery and a controlling mem- 'berj18f The three controllingwinembers 15,

y 16 and 18 are arrangedclosely adjaeentzeach other. and eitheron 'the steering post,`-the dashboard, or at any {other'convenient point. l Preferably, ,the switchesl and 161 are po'sitioned upon op osite sides ofthe vswitch and each towar `4the same side of the ve 'je asI the front lamp which itcontrols. .Thus, ifthe driver desiresto turn toward the left,

he moves the left-hand'bwit'ch, `while if he desires. tofturn toward ythe fright,"r he* moves the right-handfswitch. When: the driver-{de- -siresto slow down or'stop, he operates'the .center` switch to? turn 'ontherealr center although they are preferably of a eolor clearly distinguishable 'from the ordinary white lights, and the ordinary red tail light. I find that green is a very satisfactory color for all of the lights embodying my invention.

The switches or controlling means may be of various different forms but are preterably such that when any switch .is closed it will ren'iain closed until again operated. By this I niean that any form of switch may be employed other than the ordinary torni of push-button which breaks the circuitthe instant it is released.

I have shown the switches 15, lo and 18 in the form of levers mounted to swing' in parallel vertical planes about a common axis 2O and each having a cam portion 2l for pressing together two leaves or terminals and Q3. The lovers normally extend upwardly or may he swung down whenever de Sired, and will remain in lowered position with the circuit closed until again positively raised.

The sigiialini)r system which I have de scribed is preferably separated from the ordinary Search lights, tail light and side lights vemployed on most automobiles. I have not illustrated the ordinary lights as they form no portion oit my present invention. 'lf he lights may be operated from the same source oi energy as the usual lights on a ear, 'or may constitute an entirely independent system.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new' and desire to secure by Let- .ters Patent is:

The combination with a vehicle, of a plurality of electric lights, one arranged at each corner of the vehicle body and eaeh direetingnr its rays both laterally and in the direction of travel o t' the vehicle, an electrirl rirouit including the lights at two diagonally opposite corners, a, seeond circuit inehlding.,r the lights at the other two diagonally opposite corners, and separate circuit controllers for said circuits and designed to remain indefinitely in their open or closed position after manual operation.

Signed at New York in the county of New York, and State of New York this eighth day of September, A. D. 1915.

WILLIAM N. BFM "F. 

